Somewhere Only We Know
by Joy-girl
Summary: A boy and girl that share the hidden place - their place. A tree watches as the two children go through moments that define their life - past, present, and future. As the future comes, memories are relived as the past begins to repeat itself.
1. Innocence

**(Author's 10 year speech)**

Wow.

_10 years. _

Not that this is an ending, but I like to think it's a landmark. 10 years since I joined the fanfiction community. That's quite a long time to still be returning to - something that I have been into fairly consistently since I was beginning my teenage years. Go me! Someone once told me that the real veterans are the writers who have ID numbers below 50000. Well, folks, my ID is: 48753. Woot!

Anyway, I felt like I really had to do something for my 10-year anniversary.

I doubt you all are interested in my history and junk like that, but I can say that fanfiction has had a huge influence on my life. It's part of the reason why I went to college (and graduated) to be an English teacher.

All of that said: **Onto the actual story notes!**

There are a few inspirations for this story:

"**Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane** – currently my favorite song. (It was also featured in the new Winnie the Pooh movie – I will be seeing that the moment it goes to theater)

_The Book Thief _by Markus Zusak. Not that this story is about the book, but I love the randomly bolded prints in which the narrator (*coughdeathcough*) puts in extra inputs and facts. As this story has an… interesting perspective, I thought that might be a cool addition.

My friend, Sheldon, for whom the basic premise was thought up for – but he didn't use it, so I'm using my own story idea. Ha!

**Len83** – Love you! You are an amazing encouragement and motivation. I love our correspondence, and thank you so much for betaing! (Everyone note how lovely the writing is because she helped me a lot :) )

**Somewhere Only We know**

**.: Part One: Innocence :.**

It was a quiet, peaceful clearing. The soft**,** afternoon light was filtered by the shade of the trees, bushes, and occasional cloud. Select beams from the sun made their way through the obstacles giving the clearing a magical feeling. A cool**,** spring breeze let in a refreshing airflow. This clearing was well hidden among the many foliages of Konoha. Trees, bushes, and all things green surrounded a lone Sakura tree. It was early springtime, and the tree was beginning to show its colored blossoms, which made it stand beautifully amongst the green. However, its isolation made the witness of the tree's beauty a rarity.

That is, until one day, a peculiar young child came crashing through the green with the same beautifully colored hair as the cherry blossom tree.

The young girl's head was down, her pink locks covering any chance of sight. If the tree could have, it would have tried to stop the girl; but there was no helping the child as she ran head first into the rough bark of the small tree.

With a loud _thunk_ and a _plop_, the girl was on the ground just below the pink blossoms. Sniffles escaped the young girl before she raised her small hand up to her forehead to rub the spot of contact. Still, the girl did not weep. The tree noticed then that the girl was dirty. There were various rips on her dress while her face was painted with smudges of dirt and the occasional deep red liquid that came from the inside of the young girl's body.

With her hand still on her red forehead, the girl pushed herself up and blinked a few times at the offending object in her way.

She lifted her gaze to the blossoms. Shining paths from her eyes to her jaw line shimmered in the rays of light that filtered through the tree's branches. A few tense moments passed – as if the tree and the child were sizing the other up. Finally, the child spoke in a voice so soft, the tree was not sure it came from her lips.

"Pretty!"

The tree was pleased that someone could finally enjoy its blossoms. The child reached her hands up as though to grasp the blossoms that were out of her reach. With strength the tree did now know it had, it willed for its branches to shake ever so slightly so that the young pink-haired girl was showered with similarly colored petals. Her mouth dropped open and as her lips lifted upward, showing off the two gaps where her front teeth had yet to show themselves. With her arms lifted high, the child danced among the pink snow.

***Innocence***

It wasn't long before the girl came again. Unlike before, she didn't rush in blindly, but her eyes were still wet, as if it was always raining just for her. The girl stepped out of a bush, tugging her shirt away from the thorns that held her back. Once free, the pink-haired child stuck her tongue out at the bush, daring it to bother her again. She wasn't nearly as dirty as their first meeting and the sharp red liquid had dulled into a rough patch on her face.

She lowered the green bag that was around her shoulders onto the ground before carefully setting herself down beside it, as she straightened out her skirt. Pink hair blocked green eyes from seeing, and an annoyed puff of air pushed the strands away just long enough for her to grab her pack. Rooting through it carefully, the girl pulled out a peanut butter and jelly sandwich wrapped in cellophane. With careful hands, the girl unwrapped the clear material that covered her meal and took a dainty bite, enjoying the view and her new place as she chewed.

***Those careful and precise hands would come in handy later***

The third time the girl came, a follower was in tow. He did not have the pretty**,** pink hair that the young girl had and that the tree loved so much. In fact, the newcomer's whole countenance was different from that of the brightened young girl's. Yet something made the two fit together despite those major differences.

"Can I open my eyes now?" The boy tugged at the hand that led him.

"No!" The young girl pouted and looked back at the boy. "Keep your eyes closed, Sasuke-kun, you promised!"

"Yeah, yeah." The young boy assured, his head turned to the side with his lips put together in a small pout.

Satisfied, the pink-haired child pulled the boy named Sasuke-kun through the last of the bushes before she let out a mini squeal. "Okay, Sasuke-kun, open your eyes!"

The boy's eyes opened to reveal coal depths. He blinked. Once. Twice. "So?"

"It's pretty! And it's our secret."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Why a secret? This isn't anything special."

The young girl's shoulders slumped and her head lowered slightly. The tree shook with pity for the girl.

"But…" The girl looked up and took comfort in the falling blossoms. "It's my tree. I found it. And…" She blushed as her hands folded behind her back. "I want to share it with you." Sasuke-kun still looked hesitant, so she continued, pleading. "Our secret!"

The tree, though it wasn't sure what to think of the skeptical boy, could not help but try to support what this young girl wanted. With all of its power, the tree's branches shook from an unfelt breeze causing the two children to be surrounded by a whirlwind of sakura blossoms.

A sigh escaped the boy's lips before they curled up into a smile. "Okay, Sakura-chan. Our secret."

So the girl had a name. A name that suited her. A name that made the tree feel even closer to this girl.

A grin spread across the girl's face as she rushed over to the boy and threw her small arms around him. "I'm so glad!" She pulled away, not noticing the boy's reddened cheeks as she babbled, "You can come here whenever you're sad, or happy, or mad, or tired, or need to talk, or-"

"Sakura-chan!" She stopped to gaze at him, the grin still present on her face.

"I get it. We both come here when we need to."

She nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yeah! And the tree will listen to whatever you have to say!" She turned to the tree to smile at it. "It's a good friend."

"Sakura-chan…"

"It is!" Sakura-chan stomped her foot. Her previously curled fists at her side loosened and her grin dropped off her face. She looked sad, yet content. It was a look that did not belong on a child so young and innocent. "It listens to me."

The sounds of a foot stomping. The tree felt that if it had feet, it would surely be stomping as well.

"Don't be sad!" The boy had noticed the sadness too. The girl turned abruptly to look at the boy whose face was now redder than ever. There was a pause as his head turned away from her wide eyes "I'll… " He hesitated, suddenly unsure of himself, "I'll protect you and listen to you too. So…" He faced her again - his expression showing nothing but determination. There was silence as the two children stared at each other, both comprehending what was just said. The red overtook Sasuke-kun's face and her turned away from Sakura. "You don't have to be sad anymore."

"Sasuke-kun…"

And the tree knew he would. Despite the contrast between the two children, dark and light, the tree could still sense the young innocence and resolve radiating from their beings.

***It's unfortunate that innocence doesn't last***

As the sakura blossoms reached the end of their peak, the tree witnessed a familiar scene accompanied by memorable sounds. There were rushing footsteps and the echo of despairing sobs. However, unlike before, Sakura-chan knew where she was going and did not run into the tree. For this, the tree was thankful. It did not want to hurt the child anymore than she already seemed. Watching the sobbing girl as she fell to her knees in front of the tree with her hands balled into fists on her eyes the tree suddenly felt that its branches were heavier than ever before. They sagged under the weight of the tears the girl poured out onto the ground.

Sakura-chan's small fists unclenched themselves as she wiped the constant stream of water from her face. It did no good; only more water came from her glistening eyes. If the tree could, it was sure it would cry with her. Little Sakura-chan's eyes suddenly stared up at the tree. Her hands went to her forehead, under the shade of her bangs. She pushed her hand up, so that her forehead was bare for all to see. "Look." She commanded. The tree was looking, but did not understand. "It's hideous!" She snapped. Then the brief flash of anger in her green eyes was replaced by pain.

The tree preferred the anger.

"At least…" she lowered the hand holding up her bangs, and the soft strands fell in front of her eyes once more, obscuring her green eyes and the subject of her torment. "At least that's what they say."

For the first time, the tree felt anger. The branches shook as if to tell Sakura-chan that she was wrong. If anything, the tree felt the girl was as beautiful as the sakura petals the tree so proudly held. Perhaps she was even more beautiful because of her emerald eyes – yet those gorgeous eyes seemed to hold so much sadness.

"Who cares what they say." The tree almost nodded. Wait… trees are unable talk. The tree noticed Sakura-chan have similar thoughts. Her nose scrunched up as her eyes studied the tree in front of her. Sakura-chan's hand was reaching up to touch the tree when the voice came again. "Why do YOU care about what they say?" If the tree hadn't said it (though it desperately wished it could) then–

That boy! He had returned! The tree was glad. The boy and the tree seemed to think alike when it came to the pink-haired child. Sakura-chan's nose returned to its unscrunched state, as she turned with wide green eyes to the speaker. "Sasuke-kun…" she whispered.

They stared at each other for a while – Sakura-chan kneeling in front of the tree with her back twisted so she could see the young boy staring back at her with just as much determination as the tree felt – though the tree noticed the light red blossoming across his face. It was an unusual color that the tree did not often see. Was the boy ill? The boy seemed to feel the tree's thoughts and his face turned, no longer looking at the girl. "Who cares?" He mumbled again. Without turning his head, his black eyes bore into Sakura-chan's emerald orbs. Finally he shrugged while his eyes turned to look away from the girl. The tree watched as the red only became more noticeable. "You're fine. Just… walk with me from now on and they won't bother you. Because…" The boy still did not look at her, but the tree knew that it didn't matter because Sakura-chan's eyes were boring into his soul – eyes wide and hopeful. The tree was also hanging onto his every word. Sasuke-kun took in a deep breath and whipped his head around to look at her. His voice rose as he spoke the following words, "Because you should only care about what I think!"

The red had completely taken over his face and neck and the tree really began to worry for the boy's health. Sakura-chan, however, did not seem to worry. Instead she launched herself up from the ground and into his arms. The boy did not hug her back, nor did he say anything else but grunt a few times.

The tree felt lighter – happier. Like it could glow again and handle its branches. The boy would protect her – the tree was sure of it. The boy would be there for her to take away her sadness. The tree could entrust the care of its pink-haired companion into the care of this boy.

A whisper: "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

***The tree regretted these thoughts later***

The tree had not been paying attention. Sakura-chan seemed to only come once every few suns, and Sakura-chan had come during the last sun.

So when the bushes parted to reveal a child, the tree was pleasantly surprised – at least no more surprised than when the tree discovered that it was not the little Sakura-chan that had come to visit.

Sasuke-kun stopped in front of the Sakura tree. He looked left. Then right. His face pinched with anticipation. Both he and the tree were silent. Was he waiting for someone? Looking for someone? The tree wanted to tell him that Sakura-chan was not and had not been there. Instead of saying this, the tree's branches waved.

With a sigh, Sasuke-kun seemed to relax. His nose scrunched up and his eyebrows furrowed. "This is stupid." He mumbled.

There was more silence. The tree waited patiently for the boy to continue.

With another sigh, Sasuke-kun suddenly plopped down in front of the tree and began picking at the grass in front of him – pulling and stripping the green plant. The tree did not like this. The grass made the area pretty and this_ boy_ was destroying it! If he wasn't going to say anything…

"Sakura-chan's at home doing homework." He said suddenly. "I figured since this stupid place usually makes her feel better, and it's supposed to be 'our' place, maybe…" His eyes narrow in concentration. He stopped fiddling with the grass and the tree began to relax.

"It's my dad and brother." He said. The boy leaned back on his arms, his legs crossing in front of him and his eyes no longer looking at the tree, but at something only he could see. "My dad likes my brother a lot more. He's the genius." A fist formed in the grass, pulling at some of the scenery, but the tree did not feel as annoyed, "And Itachi is always busy! I want him to teach me so I can be as awesome as he is! Well…" His cheeks were red again. The tree began to worry. "I'm already pretty awesome." He flashed the tree a grin. "Any Uchiha is pretty awesome, especially my family!" The grin lessened and the sparkle of pride left the boy's eyes. "I just wish dad would see me and…" He bit his lip, lowering his head. "I just want him to be proud of me."

A few of the pink leaves fell around the boy, hoping it would cheer him up. If the tree could have, the tree would have told him that his father was proud of him. That Sakura-chan was proud of him. That his brother had high hopes for him. That Sasuke-kun was just a little bud and would grow into a beautiful blossom. (If boys did grow into blossoms). All of these things the tree ached to tell the boy, but could not. Still, as if the wishes reached the boy, Sasuke-kun looked up with a smirk on his face, the frustration gone from his eyes. "Still, Itachi is pretty awesome." Sasuke-kun pushed off the ground and slowly stood up to look at the tree. "If I work really hard, I bet when I become a real ninja I can beat Itachi. Just wait and see!"

With that, Sasuke-kun turned and walked back towards the bushes. The tree noticed that his walk had a bounce to it – something that was missing when he appeared not long ago. As he reached the edge of the meadow, Sasuke-kun slowed to a stop. He turned around and smiled at the tree. "Oh, and this thing between Sakura-chan and I? She's just a girl. A stupid girl that needs watching out for. So don't go thinking it's something else, got it?" The red was back on his cheeks again. The tree found itself less worried than usual. The boy was about to turn to walk again, but stopped once more. He did not turn around, but said, "Sakura-chan was right. I feel better. Thanks."

***The boy would indeed complete his prediction – a regretful decision***

The tree noticed the difference right away. Her gorgeous pink hair was no longer covering her bright green eyes. The tree liked it.

Sakura-chan stood in front of the tree, her feet shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Her hands were behind her back and she looked up at the tree through her long lashes while her head remained down. An awkward silence – both waiting for the other to say something (even though both knew that one could not speak through words.) The tree was decidedly not comfortable for the first time with the girl.

She shifted her waist around a little more, her feet never moving from their assigned post, before she finally spoke, "Do you like it?" Her face was pink, the color similar to her hair. While the tree loved the color, it did not like it on the child's skin. To appease the child, the tree tried to wave its branches causing many of the loose blossoms to fall around Sakura-chan.

Sakura-chan grinned up at the tree. She understood. With all the grace the young child possessed, she daintily kneeled on the grass where she had stood moments before. "Ino-chan gave it to me yesterday. She said that I look better like this." Sakura-chan paused, her nose crinkling as she shook her head. "I don't think so, but…" The green eyes turned wistful. "Ino-chan is so popular! She would know better than anyone I guess. I hope we can be best friends!" Sakura twirled her finger through her hair. "Sasuke-kun hasn't been around today. The teachers aren't saying much, but I hope he's okay. I want him to meet Ino-chan!"

There was a quiet and peaceful pause until Sakura spoke again, her face regaining the pink it had when she had first arrived. "Ino-chan and her friends are so smart and grown-up!" Her green eyes became large. "They were talking about boys! And what girls do with boys!" Her green eyes looked left. Then right. The tree recalled this action from the previous encounter with the boy. With a hand cupped at the side of her mouth, Sakura-chan leaned in and whispered to the tree. "Do you know what boys and girls are supposed to do?" She waited a moment to let the tree guess. It had no idea. "KISS!" Her voice was still whispering and hoarse, but her dismay caused the whisper to go louder than she had meant to.

Sakura-chan leaned back and nodded. "Yeah. That's right. Kiss." The tree did not know what a kiss was. It must be something awful! "It's gross." Sakura-chan confirmed. "Ino-chan says you do that with boys you like." Sakura-chan paused there, her face growing pinker than ever – a shade that was becoming increasingly darker than her hair. "Can I tell you a secret?" Her eyes shifted around as she leaned in closer again. "I think I like Sasuke-kun."

Another pause. The tree wondered if that meant that its precious Sakura-chan would have to do such a horrible thing as kiss! Sakura-chan seemed to arrive at the same thought and leaned back quickly, her hands waving in front of her. "No, no! We won't be gross like that… at least I don't think we will, but then Ino-chan said you kiss when you like someone. So… should I kiss him?" A finger slipped up to the corner of the girl's mouth. She was quiet for a few minutes. The tree wondered if she was thinking about kissing. What was kissing? What made it so horrible?

"I think…" Sakura began, breaking the tree from its inquisitive thoughts. "I think that I'll ask Ino-chan. I'll tell her who I like! She'll help me!" Sakura jumped up, a grin spread widely on her face. She patted the tree lovingly. "Thanks, Tomomi-san!" She skipped off leaving the tree to wonder about her parting words.

***Tomomi means "Beautiful Friend"***

It was raining. The tree loved the rain. It gave life. It gave life to the tree. The darkness in the sky even seemed to make the tree's pink and green leaves stand out. There were a few precious, pink blossoms left. It was almost time for the fragile petals to go, but the tree was ready this year. Two children had been able to enjoy the tree's full and magnificent beauty before the blossoms were gone for the season.

There was a quiet disruption in the steady rhythm of the rain. Sakura-chan came through the wet greenery slowly, as though she was older - far beyond her youth. The tree was surprised. While it enjoyed the rain, Sakura-chan often avoided coming here when the weather allowed the tree to drink. There had been a few visits when their time had been cut short because she had to get out of the rain (the tree never really understood this concept, but chalked it up to one of the many oddities about fragile human beings).

Sakura-chan took sluggish steps to the tree and stopped at its base. The shade of the branches did not stop all of the rain from falling past the canopies to drop and trail down her smooth cheeks. Her bangs were still held back by the bow that dear Ino-chan had given Sakura-chan, but the once bright pink hair had lost its shine. It was limp in the rain, causing more water to drip onto the soaking wet girl.

Sakura-chan did not seem to notice.

"Sasuke-kun…" Her voice was quiet. "his family was killed four days ago. Mommy and Daddy called it the Uchiha Massacre." The girl's green eyes were off to the side as though in a memory. The tree did not understand these words – 'massacre' and 'killed.' Both children often spoke of family. The tree understood that family was troublesome, but still a part of the children's lives, something similar to the birds that had nested in the braches. Sure, they were troublesome and messy, but they were a part of the tree now. The tree felt like it understood the children more. But these new words… by the tone of her voice and the far off look, the tree could only assume that these did not have pleasant meanings.

"I tried to talk to him today." Sakura-chan choked for a moment. A hand wiped under her nose. "He ignored me. He was staring straight ahead. He was…" She looked at the tree now. "Scary! Sasuke-kun scared me! I…" The rain came down harder. "I want the old Sasuke-kun back!"

The tree could do nothing but try to shade the girl, doing what it could to keep the downpour from drowning the child while the last few pink petals fell from its branches.

***End Of Innocence***

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns?

Just tap that lovely button below this text in the center there - yeah. That one. Do it. You know you want to.

Let me know how I'm doing and how you're feeling about this.

There are two more "Arcs" to this story, so more on the way.

Once again, loves to Len83! (GO READ HER FABULOUS FICS!)


	2. Innocence Lost

**Somewhere Only We Know  
.:Part 2: Innocence Lost:.**

Awareness crept into the tree's bark. For the first time in what seemed like years, the tree stretched its limbs. Small buds were appearing on the ends of its branches. New nests were being built. Birds were frequently making pit stops on the tree's bare limbs. Spring was here. New birth. New chances. New… Sakura-chan?

"Good Afternoon, Tomomi-san!" Sakura-chan's bright smile greeted the tree. She was taller than the tree remembered. Her hair had grown longer, and there was something shiny resting where her ribbon once was. How long had the tree been asleep? "I see you're beginning to bloom again!" She reached out to touch a bud, but the branches were still out of her reach. Sakura-chan was never one to let her height get to her, so she continued to speak as she sat down. "I have news!" Sakura-chan's arms folded so that her hands were under her chin. That familiar red color was coating her cheeks again and her green eyes seemed brighter than normal. "We have our teams picked out! Guess who is on my team!"

Sakura-chan liked to talk. She mentioned a lot of people in their chats. The tree wracked its memory. It could be Mom, Dad, Ino-chan –

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura-chan was bouncing. Though she was sitting with her legs crossed, her knees were flapping as though she would fly. "Sasuke-kun is on my team!"

Ah, Sasuke-kun! Rarely did a visit go by without Sakura-chan mentioning him. Though, she seemed more excited then usual at the mention of his name. Come to think of it, the tree had not seen Sasuke-kun in quite a long time.

"There's also this guy named Naruto. He's _such_ an idiot. I mean, at least compared to Sasuke-kun! Our sensei's name is Kakashi. He's weird! He keeps looking at these books. He's such a pervert! Oh! And he was late today! What a horrible example!"

The tree documented these people. The idiot: Naruto. The pervert: Kakashi.

"You should have seen the look on Ino's face! She was so jealous!" A wicked grin spread upon Sakura-chan's cute lips. The tree was not sure that it enjoyed it as much as her regular smile. "Sasuke-kun is going to be all mine!"

The tree was confused. Wasn't Sasuke-kun already hers? Didn't he promise to look after Sakura-chan? Though, it was hard to tell for it had been so long since the tree had seen Sasuke-kun. Perhaps the boy just needed to be reminded of his promise!

"Anyway," Sakura stood up, brushing some invisible dust off of her shirt. "I need to get home early. The team and I are meeting up tomorrow and I need to get a lot of rest so I can get up early and look nice for Sasuke-kun." A hand went through her hair and a soft smile reached her lips. For a moment, the tree saw the younger Sakura-chan. "He likes girls with longer hair. I-I want to get my old Sasuke-kun back.**"** She smiled at the tree once more before leaving.

**Sakura had changed**

Her face was red even before she began talking. The tree swore it could feel the heat through its bark. This could not be healthy.

Sakura-chan had run to the clearing, almost smacking into the tree before she stopped and stood in front of its massive trunk, not a sound escaping her lips. Her mouth would open occasionally. Sometimes a squeak would come through, but the tree had yet to hear anything that could help it understand the situation.

Finally a word came out.

_Blood. _

Blood! The tree panicked. The tree itself had never bled – no, but Sakura had explained, in great detail, their last mission and how much blood and death was involved. Blood meant pain and death. Sasuke-kun had nearly died. He and Naruto were bleeding. The bad guys died and there was blood. Sakura-chan was so sad when she mentioned the blood.

As far as the tree was concerned, blood was bad. Period.

"I didn't know!" A tear leaked out of Sakura-chan's eye and evaporated off of her hot face. The tree wished more than anything it could move its branches to hold her. Sakura-chan's nose scrunched up as she continued. "It's so gross and horrible! And… a-a…" The girl's face became even more red and she seemed to loose the ability to speak again.

There was a noise and Sakura went rigid. An open palm was frozen onto her cheek while the other was by her side into a fist.

"Why the hell did you have to run off here?" Sasuke-kun appeared from behind a tree. His face was not quite as red, but its color warranted concern from the tree. Still, Sasuke-kun was here now. He would make Sakura-chan feel better.

He did not step closer. "Here." Instead of comforting the poor girl, he stood at the edge of a clearing and threw a box at Sakura-chan. She didn't move, didn't even flinch when the box hit her in the head and fell to the ground. "Look." Sasuke-kun shuffled on his feet. "Kakashi sent me to give that to you. He said he had to buy it for you, so I had to deliver it." He mumbled something under his breath and hesitated a moment before disappearing in a flash.

The tree waited for Sakura-chan. Finally, as stiff as the tree's trunk, Sakura-chan bent down to gather up the box. Sakura-chan examined the box for a moment before slowly peeling a piece of paper from the box. In one hand she held the box, the other held the note close to her face so she could read it through the haze of the heat still radiating from her body.

"Congratulations! You are now a real woman! Part of being a ninja is being prepared. On that note, feel free to ask to borrow one of my books so you know how to act like a proper woman."

There was silence. A heavy wind blew Sakura-chan's long hair in front of her so that the tree could not see her face. She was shaking now – the tree could see that. Sakura-chan finally moved, crumpling up the piece of paper in her hand. "Kakashi-sensei…" There was a change in the air and a sudden wind that blew Sakura-chan's hair from her red face. There was a new and interesting emotion in her eyes… "…I'LL KILL YOU!"

**Sakura-chan became a woman.**

Something was different. Sakura was standing before the tree and she looked as beat up as she did when she first met the tree all those years ago. But that wasn't what was different.

Everything was unusually still. The tree was too shocked to shake its branches as it would normally do when Sakura-chan came to visit. Sakura-chan seemed to sense the awkward amazement. She stood before the tree and a let out a strained chuckle, her hand drifting towards her hair.

"I guess you can see something is different, huh?" The tree finally had the sense to move its branches to acknowledge her.

"I had to cut my hair." Her black and blue eye looked off in the distance, almost wistfully. "It was something I had to do. I had to."

No more words were exchanged, but the tree knew. Like a plant needs to be trimmed to grow, so her hair was cut so Sakura-chan could grow.

**Hair length was not the only thing that changed.**

"I'm leaving."

It was dark. The tree had to shake itself awake. Leaves fell around the tree and the body standing before it. What was Sakura-chan doing at this time of night?

It took a moment before the tree realized the voice was too deep to belong to Sakura-chan.

There was a sigh. It was too dark to see, but the tree heard the shuffling of grass. "I don't know why I'm here."

Sasuke-kun.

"This is stupid." There was anger in the voice. The tree wished it could see the boy's eyes. "This place is stupid. This village is stupid!" It was almost as though the area became even darker, heavier. The tree was worried and willed the boy to take a deep breath, calming himself.

"I'm not getting strong enough here, so I'm leaving. I can't stand that dobe anymore. I can't take our idiot teacher spouting nonsense about good feelings and opinions on things that he doesn't understand. No one understands what I have to do! I just… I have to get out of this village." Indeed, the tree did not understand. It did not understand what the boy was talking about or why he was so upset. The tree wished it could understand, wished it could help. This boy was special to Sakura-chan and the tree did not like to see anyone hurting, especially Sakura-chan's special person.

"And Sakura…" He sighed. No longer angry, frustrated, but not angry. "She's too innocent and weak." The tree did not deny this. Really, no one was strong compared to the tree's strength, but that was why Sasuke-kun was there – to protect her. "I don't want anything to happen to her, but she is too much of a distraction. Naruto is a distraction. Sakura is a distraction. Love is a distraction. I can't take it anymore!"

The tree heard a loud bang. The earth seemed to shake. It was hurting, just as the boy was hurting. There was a pause in his ranting. A breeze passed by, trying to calm the boy. It was a few minutes before he spoke again, this time his voice was strained. Not for the first time the tree wished it could see his eyes.

"I guess I came here to apologize. I won't be able to keep my promise. And I guess I needed to say good-bye."

Promise? Good-bye? The tree wracked its past memories and experiences. What promise? Good-bye? Sakura-chan said good-bye all the time. Why did this time seem different? The tree did not like this good-bye. It did not understand, but it did know whatever was coming was not good.

"Ah, this is so stupid! I have to go."

And the boy was gone leaving a very confused and unhappy tree.

**It was darker before it became light again.**

It was not raining. The sun was shining in the sky, bright and brilliant as ever – as though winter was still months away despite the cool nights that said otherwise. Even though the tree loved and relished the sun, it seemed out of place today – like today the sun was mocking it. All day, the tree could not shake this feeling.

It wasn't until Sakura-chan appeared that the tree knew why the sun seemed so wrong.

Sakura-chan was not crying. Her eyes were not shining in the sun with tears overflowing. Neither her nose nor her cheeks were red, signaling the oncoming sadness. Sakura-chan was still different. She looked as though the sun had beat her down and had not given way to the refreshing rain for too long. Everything about her seemed to sag. It was as though dear Sakura-chan was defeated.

"Sasuke-kun is gone." She said simply as she walked slowly to the tree, dragging her feet all the way. "He's not coming back." Her eyes did not rest on the tree. Sakura-chan's green eyes were gazing off to the side; she was avoiding the tree.

The tree did not understand. Sasuke-kun, despite all the problems the two had had recently, was supposed to protect Sakura-chan! Sure, he was troubled a few nights ago when he had last visited the tree – but when did he not seem troubled? He had promised he would take care of Sakura-chan! They were meant to be together!

"Naruto came back today." As her left arm was limp at her side, Sakura-chan's right hand lifted to grip her left forearm. "He couldn't get Sasuke-kun to stay, just like I couldn't. I'm not strong enough." Her hand gripped the left arm tighter. "I hate it." Her voice was quiet, a whisper that seemed only meant for the wind and the most attentive of listeners. "I hate it." She said again, louder this time. "I HATE IT!" Sakura-chan screamed. Birds flew from the nearby trees, startled by the usually quiet girl. "I hate it." Sakura-chan mumbled again as her hand finally let go of her arm. Sakura-chan bit her lip and lowered her head.

There was silence between the two. The sun was mocking the two. Sakura-chan, dear defeated Sakura-chan, deserved a rain cloud. Why should the sky be so happy when this special girl was not? The tree wanted to comfort the girl.

"I don't want this." The tree wished Sakura-chan's face would lift so it could look into her eyes. The eyes, the tree decided, were the best way to understand humans. "I want to be stronger. For everyone." Her head did finally rise and her emerald eyes stared straight at the tree, the defeat no longer resonating through her being.

"I came here to make a promise." Sakura put a delicate hand on the tree's bark. They were connected. "I promise here, with Tomomi-san as my witness," Sakura-chan lifted her head to watch the sky through the nearly bare branches. "I vow that I will get strong. I will protect my most precious people." Sakura-chan's eyes closed, relishing the breeze. "And I will bring Sasuke-kun back."

Sakura-chan smiled at the tree, her hand leaving the bark. The tree suddenly felt empty; it didn't know why, but it felt that something inside the precious Sakura-chan died that day. She was not the same, and the tree knew that things were going to change.

**Innocence died**

So, yes, this is a lot shorter than the previous chapter. I did this because I figured we have all seen, read, or heard of these moments more than is necessary. With Sasuke off being a mopey douche, I figured it would be boring with just Sakura retelling these stories that we know.

That said, I'm _super_ excited for the next part! This is where I take great leaps away from the anime/manga and I get to make up my own fun scenes :)

Another special shout-out to **Len83** for taking time out of her freakishly busy schedule to look over my story! If you haven't checked out her stuff yet, do yourself a favor and **read her stuff!** There is some fantastic SasuSaku goodness (and hopefully more to come!)

**Want to read more?** **Reviewing** causes the author to squeal which in turn grants motivation for the author to finish and post the story.

In short: **Reviewing = happy Joy-girl = faster updates**


	3. Return to What was Lost

Ah, final chapter! I hope you all have enjoyed this as much as I have.

Special thanks goes out to **Len83** – bestest beta EVER! Not to mention, a glorious author! She has especially been able to update/add some new sasusaku's to the shining pile. Love you, Len! :)

(Warning) I know my stories are slightly known for being "clean" in the language department, so I feel that I should post a **warning **for the language that takes place in one scene.

Imaginary cookies to those who find/recognize the Scrubs reference :D

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Part 3; Return to What Was Lost**

Time.

Trees do not have the same concept of time as humans do. The average lifespan of trees lasts far longer than any human, though it lives different lives with the same memories. Wintertime brings a deathly sleep for which an unlucky tree may never wake up from. With spring comes new life, a rebirth. And although life comes to the tree, it still remembers its past lives.

Loneliness.

A tree doesn't forget. It watches time go by with a certain about of grace and peace. Still, the tree does not have much to do except think and remember. Remember how things were before the big sleep. Remember a kite that got stuck in its large boughs. Remember a family of birds that made their home in the tree's branches. Remember the generations of a family grow and die off as a tree watches from a back yard. Remember special friends that had a special connection with a tree.

Sakura-chan.

The spring after Sakura-chan's promise came without sight of her bright pink hair. The tree waited patiently – as it could not wait any other way. Warm summer months passed and then fall. The next spring, the tree waited, it felt the cherry blossoms blooming on its branches were especially bright for Sakura-chan this year – if she would only come and see them! On the third spring without any sign of dear Sakura-chan, the tree seemed to wilt. The cherry blossoms seemed dull. They did not last long. Summer was rainy and full of storms. The winter sleep was welcomed. The fourth spring seemed to bring new life to the tree. It had not forgotten Sakura-chan, no, it never would, but the tree had moved on – accepted. So when the fifth spring came and tree woke up from its sleep to see bright pink hair, the tree was more than pleasantly surprised.

**A return to what was lost**

Her hair was long again. The tree greeted her with a hard breeze – it was meant to be soft, but the tree was too excited. A pale hand tucked a few strands of pink hair behind an ear. Her green eyes surveyed the area, taking in her old spot. Sakura-chan reached up to touch a growing bud on a branch.

Sakura-chan had grown taller.

"I missed this place." A soft whisper came from her lips. It was carried away by the wind, but the tree heard her. The branches waved back, returning the sentiment. Sakura-chan's hand left the fuzzy bud and went to hide in the pocket of her white covering. A gentle smile graced Sakura-chan's face. "I'm sorry it's been so long since I've visited." She stepped away from the tree, admiring the area around her. "I've been really busy. I'm a lot stronger – head medic and apprentice to the Hokage." She paused and the tree took more time to exam Sakura-chan.

She was different – not just older, but different. She was calm, yet anxious. She was confident, but shaking. Her hands came out from her pockets to grip her white coat. "I know I'm stronger and better. Yet somehow…" There was a flash of frustration and childish anger in her eyes. If the tree had not been watching, it would have missed it, but the tree was very observant (as most trees are).

A deep breath and a heavy sigh. "Sasuke-kun is back."

Ah! The tree knew that name. He was another sight the tree had not seen for a while. The tree did not forget people like Sasuke-kun. "He's…" A green eye twitched and all of her calm essence collapsed as she gripped her hair and stomped on the ground. The tree felt the ground quake and noticed the dent in the earth where Sakura's boot was. "Argh!" She pulled at her hair. "He's so frustrating!" She looked at the tree, imploring it to understand. "He has the uncanny ability to make me doubt myself!" The grip on her hair loosened, but her hands flailed as she continued to speak, "I know I'm strong! I know I can kick anyone's ass if I wanted to! But he… he just comes back and suddenly I feel so much smaller!" She stopped moving and glared at the tree, leaning in for emphasis with one hand on her hip and another out with a finger pointing towards the tree. "I am not weak."

The tree did not appreciate being yelled at. It knew Sakura-chan was strong. It always knew she was strong – though the tree wished she would use her strength elsewhere. A harsh breeze blew, a strong plea to sooth her anger and a warning for the poor foliage.

Sakura-can straightened, her calm expression (mask) returned and she looked down her nose at the tree. "And I'm not annoying. I'll show him."

There was a pause. The tree was not sure what was happening – or what had just happened for that matter. Sakura's eyes suddenly softened and she smiled at the tree – the smile the tree had missed so much. "I really did miss talking to you. Thank you." She bowed and left the area with more confidence than she had come with.

The tree could not help but shake lightly with what could almost be a chuckle.

**Sakura-chan was back.**

It was not Sakura this time. It was an older man, someone the tree seemed to recognize – but that couldn't be right, the tree had not seen any other human besides Sakura-chan and –

Ah, the tree knew. He was certainly taller, and he looked so much older, older than the tree knew he was. He was guarded, jaded, darker. Yet, he looked defeated. Sasuke-kun had returned.

He looked hesitant, as though he wasn't welcome. One step forward, but he stopped. A welcoming breeze, the tree wanted Sasuke-kun to come closer. He did, slowly. His black eyes were darting back and forth, scanning the area. It seemed he was expecting someone or something. Another welcoming breeze, encouraging the young man again. There was a slight stiffening of his shoulders before a heavy breath of air escaped his lungs. He took another step forward. If he wanted to reach out, he could touch the tree. His posture hadn't changed much. He was still tense, but not as tense as when he first came. His mouth was still set in a straight line, but his eyes were no longer darting around. Still, the tree could not help but notice one important detail.

Sasuke-kun had not once looked at the tree.

It confused the tree. This boy, while troubled and not nearly as talkative as Sakura-chan, never had trouble seeing the tree. He always looked on with his piercing gaze. Something was stopping him. Branches quaked, almost moving towards him to ask the question.

It was barely there, but it was a flinch at the sound of the leaves rustling against each other. Again, the tree tried to reach him, but Sasuke-kun visibly flinched this time and took a step back.

Something was wrong, and somehow the tree suddenly knew. It's not that Sasuke-kun _wouldn't_ look at the tree; he _couldn't_ look at the tree. Something snapped inside the tree, and for the first time, it did not want to comfort the boy. It did not want to make him happy. It was feeling something new.

A hard wind shook the tree. Branches creaked under the weight of the wind. Sasuke-kun also seemed to bend under the pressure. His head turned to the side while the wind caused his hair to run wild. He sagged while the tree seemed to grow. The young man in front of the tree only listened to the scolding tree.

Finally, the tree ran out of steam. There was an accusing silence while the tree waited for Sasuke-kun.

"It was her fault. She was being stupid." A pause. "Annoying." His voice was becoming louder. "It was her fault; she stepped into it." His hard voice cracked once. "She was crying, the stupid girl." He looked at his hands. "I didn't –" Another crack and he stopped. He squeezed his eyes closed as his hand formed a fist. "Her own damn fault and I couldn't…" A sigh and his eyes slowly opened. He still hadn't looked at the tree. "Even after everything, I didn't want that to happen." His fist opened up for him to observe his palm, though the tree did not believe he was seeing anything in front of him, "Annoying." He murmured.

Anger drained from the tree. It still felt a residue of said unpleasant emotion, like a mist after the rain, but it would lift soon enough. A softer breeze came this time, soothing the young man in front of the tree.

At the prompt from the breeze, a fist formed again, "It won't happen again." He looked up at the tree for the first time. For a brief moment, the tree really saw his true emotions. The tree, though shaken, believed him. "I promise."

A moment of silent understanding passed between the two beings. Sasuke-kun's lips curved upwards. It wasn't a smile, but it wasn't all together unpleasant either. "You haven't changed much."

**The tree thought Sasuke-kun hadn't changed either**

There was nothing special about this day. It was a partly cloudy day, perhaps a little on the warm side, the tree was a little parched, maybe it would rain soon. Still, this ordinary day was suddenly made special to the tree when Sakura-chan came. The tree heard Sakura-chan approaching the clearing before she was visible. The tree was worried at first. Her steps were quick and uneven. When she did appear, the tree found that its fears were for not. She was out of breath, but a wide grin was present on her glowing face.

"Tomomi-san!" While waiting patiently for the excited Sakura-chan to catch her breath, the tree could not help but observe this beauty. Sure, the tree had some beauty, especially in the spring when the pink blossoms were looking their best, but this Sakura-chan made the petals look dull. She wasn't wearing anything special, it was simply a white shirt, black pants, and sandals. The pink hair was down like it had been most days. It really wasn't anything in particular the tree could pin her beauty on. If anything, it was how young Sakura-chan looked right then. Her smile was wide with child-like excitement while her eyes sparkled with equal exuberance. The tree imagined that if she was younger, Sakura-chan would not be able to keep herself rooted to the ground.

It was like Sakura-chan was an innocent, happy child again.

"Tomomi-san! You won't believe what happened!" Her hands clapped together. "The five of us were out – you know, the four of us with Kakashi – and Sasuke-kun had actually come with us for once – and we were eating and Naruto and Sai were fighting like they usually were and I hit them and you know what?" Sakura-chan stopped to breathe while she waited as though the tree could answer. Before she finally spoke again, she leaned in and whispered the answer as though it were a secret, "I heard Sasuke-kun chuckle. I looked over, and he had actually smiled!" She leaned back so she was straight again. The secret was over. "Can you believe it? Well, it wasn't really a smile. But for him, it was practically a grin! It was so great to see it! He's improving! You know, he should smile more often."

She was quiet after sharing. It was a happy moment the two shared, until Sakura-chan's emerald eyes widened and the grin began to slope downwards, her gleaming teeth no longer showing. "Oh no…" She whispered. Her eyes stared at the tree while her mouth was soon covered by a single hand. Her head shook.

The tree was confused. She was so happy a moment ago. What could have changed? Leaves shook as pink petals began to fall gently around Sakura-chan's form.

"I still like him." She whispered harshly. If the tree wasn't the observant tree that it was, it would not have caught what was said. The worry was not alleviated. Of _course _she still liked him, why would she not like him? The tree did not understand the look of sheer horror on her face.

"I still like him!" Her voice was a little louder this time. "But I can't!" She sounded so desperate, but the tree was beginning to disapprove of Sakura's train of thought. Branches waved sharply. _Why not? _The tree was asking.

"I can't." Two hands were covering her mouth now. Her wide eyes were boring holes into the accusing bark. "He left me! He betrayed the village! He-he –no! No!" Branches shook again in an attempt to understand. Sakura-chan had once left the tree for a long period of time, but the tree still loved Sakura-chan. Sasuke-kun left, but the tree and Sasuke-kun were okay – what was Sakura-chan's worry for? "I'm stronger now." Her voice was desperate, as though she had to make the tree believe her, even though the tree never once doubted her. "I shouldn't…"

Pink petals danced around Sakura-chan, a gentle breeze guiding their steps. Sakura-chan's hair tried to join in the dance. Her look of horror could not hold any longer. Her gaze softened. A small smile curved her lips upwards, though the smile did not quite reach her eyes. "But I do." Her green eyes became glassy as a tear slid out. "I still like Sasuke-kun. I wonder if I ever really stopped liking him."

**The tree didn't believe she did.**

"HEY!"

The tree was startled awake. It was still dark out. The second thing the tree noticed was the hard rain that was falling. The tree loved rain; it nourished and helped the tree live, though that didn't mean it preferred the gentler rain. It was nicer to its leaves. Still, there was something out of place…

"Wake up and use your leaves to shield me, damn it!"

The tree was startled. Lightening flashed to reveal a very wet and very angry looking Sakura-chan. Unsure of what to do, the tree followed orders to shift its branches, but it only served to dampen the already soaked woman.

"You're not helping!" She screeched. A foot stomped onto the wet ground, but it did not hold the power it would normally have. In fact, the tree was shocked to see the girl stumble after her stomp.

The tree could barely make out a hunched over Sakura-chan. Her hands were on her knees, but her eyes were boring into the tree. "This is punishment, isn't it?" She hissed out. "You're not helping me because I deserve this." Rain continued to fall down hard. There was no comforting breeze, there wasn't much of a shield from the elements, and the tree simply didn't know what to do. This did not seem to please the woman in front of the tree. "Yeah? Well, fuck you!" She screeched. Sakura-chan straightened up – too fast because she stumbled backwards. The tree found itself too confused to be scared when Sakura-chan formed a fist and reared back. It was too late when it realized the punch was headed straight for the tough bark while a pained yell came from sweet Sakura-chan's mouth.

_SMACK_

The sound of skin hitting something hard echoed throughout the area. Even after the deafening noise, rain was suddenly the only sound that the tree could hear for a moment.

When the tree finally came to its senses, it was surprised to see its view of Sakura-chan blocked. There was a shield between Sakura-chan and the saved tree. The tree noticed the heavy breathing for the first time.

Lightening flashed to show Sakura-chan frozen in time. Her fist looked as though it was still in motion to punch the tree. Her other hand was poised back as if to pick up where the other one was to leave off. Still, the punch _had_ connected with something, and that something was Sasuke-kun's open palm. He stood calm, towering over Sakura-chan's frozen form. With his back towards the tree, it couldn't make out his expression.

It wasn't until thunder shook the ground that Sakura-chan spoke, "What do you want, Uchiha? Come to mock me too?" Her head was down so that her eyes were covered by dripping bangs.

Rain continued to fall.

There was no answer. The anger in Sakura-chan grew. "What? I don't even deserve an answer?"

"You're drunk."

Sakura-chan pushed off of Sasuke-kun and stumbled backwards. "So what?" She snapped. Her head was still down. "Leave me alone."

"No."

Despite the darkness and the pouring rain, the tree watched as Sakura-chan ground her teeth and let out a hiss. The tree could not offer a comforting breeze or shelter from the rain. The tree was at a loss. It had never seen this Sakura-chan and it was confused. The only thing, the tree decided, was to trust in Sasuke-kun.

"Then fight me."

Sasuke-kun let out a small sigh before answering, "You're not-"

"Don't look down on me!"

In the moment of silence, the tree desperately wished it could see Sasuke-kun's face, but he had yet to moved from his original position. "Why?"

"Why what?" She snapped.

"Why do you want to fight so badly?" The tree could hear the mocking in his voice, "It would be pointless in your condition."

There was another noise that escaped from between her teeth just as she made a sluggish movement towards Sasuke-kun. He did not dodge, but simply blocked her punch. When she moved to kick him, Sasuke-kun kicked her leg out from under her and she fell to her knees in an ungraceful heap.

Rain seemed to fall harder now. The anger fell with her body. Her body slumped as though she was only being held up by a string. It was painful for the tree, but it could do nothing but watch and put all its hope in Sasuke-kun. "Why?" Her voice held no anger. It was soft, broken. "Why are you here?" She leaned forward so that her hands and knees supported her. Hands became fists. Mud slid between her fingers.

"No one else knew where -"

"_No_! Why are you _here_?"

"I don't understand."

"Why!" Sakura-chan was shouting. "Why did you come back to Konoha if I'm so useless? Why did you follow me here? Why!"

Sasuke-kun seemed to take a moment to contemplate her answer before he spoke slowly, "I do not believe I have ever called you useless. I am also unaware of anyone in this village who would seriously call you useless. I followed you because you have this annoying tendency to fill your head with annoying thoughts and then do stupid things like trying to destroy our tree."

It seemed like Sakura-chan had nothing to say to that. Sasuke-kun finally moved to help her up, but she spoke again, her words soft, so broken that the tree was sure the rain was solely crying for her. "Inari-san said so. I said so. Because I couldn't save her."

"Inari lost her daughter, she needed someone to blame."

"I am to blame. I –"

"Shut-up!"

All attention went to Sasuke-kun. Startled watery green eyes stared up, wide-eyed at his outburst. Since he had moved, the tree could barely make out his scrunched eyes, his clenched teeth, and the barely noticeable slant of worried eyebrows.

"You had just saved the other two kids on the team's lives, right?" A nod, "Those kids were about to die, right?" A slow nod, "Did you try less with this kid?" A slower shake of the head, "Did Tsunade blame you? She said you couldn't have done anything more, right? That the kid would've been dead even if you had gone to her first?" Green eyes did not move from Sasuke-kun. "You can't save everyone and you're going to destroy yourself if you do this every time you lose someone!"

Green eyes were still wide and focused on Sasuke-kun, but Sakura-chan finally pushed herself up so that she was on her knees. Clarity seemed to be pushing through her alcohol and grief induced thoughts. Her head cocked to the side and she asked softly, "Why do you care so much?"

Instead of answering, Sasuke-kun turned to face the tree as he held out his hand for her to grab. Sakura-chan scrunched up her nose, but still took the offer. He lifted her up, still not looking at her. "Do you remember almost ten years ago? It was something similar."

"Huh?"

A faint redness gave color to the pale Sasuke-kun.

_"Who cares what they say? … You're fine. Just… walk with me from now on and they won't bother you. Because… Because you should only care about what I think!"_

_"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."_

"Don't worry about it. It's just an old promise." The redness never left as he walked past Sakura-chan who watched him with wonderment.

Before he could disappear, Sakura-chan jumped back from her thoughts, "Ah! Wait up, Sasuke-kun!" Before she chased after him, Sakura-chan turned to the tree and bowed, "I'm so sorry, Tomomi-san. Please forgive me. I'll be back soon." She turned then, stumbling slightly, before giving chase, "Wait up!"

**He kept his promise**

Two figures came from the brush. The pink-haired beauty almost danced through. She paused before she got to the tree and twirled under the night sky as though she was hearing a tune that no one else could hear. The tree wished it could hear what she was hearing. Sasuke-kun had come with her, though he was not dancing. Under the light of the moon, the tree thought it could make out the corner of a lip curling upwards while his gaze remained solely on the dancing girl.

She stopped, mid twirl and dropped to the ground. The tree was sure she hurt herself, but she laughed, a beautiful hearty laugh.

The tree thought it had never heard anything so beautiful.

"Come sit with me, Sasuke-kun!" She was on the ground, her legs spread out in front of her. Her pink hair was down today, a clip once held one side of her hair back, but it was falling out now. She patted the ground next to her, and Sasuke-kun moved to the spot she deemed his. The tree could not help but notice how much more comfortable his movements were. He seemed happy. His eyes never once left Sakura-chan and his smirk had yet to disappear.

"That restaurant was great!" Sakura-chan put a hand on her stomach. "I think I ate too much though."

Sasuke snorted as he leaned back so that his arms supported him. "You did remind me of Naruto."

"Hey!' Sakura-chan sounded angry, but her fist did not hold a lot of power when it hit the side of Sasuke's arm. She leaned in closer, so that she was almost resting on Sasuke-kun's form. There was a comfortable silence. All three were enjoying each other's presence – though the tree did not think the other two knew it was there. "The music was good too." Her voice was soft, serene.

"Hn."

"I wish you had danced with me." She was leaning on him fully now. Her head lifted off his chest to look at his eyes.

"I don't dance." His voice was rough.

Silence again. Sakura-chan smiled and leaned her head against his chest once again. Sasuke-kun's eyes were softer. The observant tree noticed that the slight smirk had morphed into a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun. I had a really great time."

"Hn."

Then Sakura-chan lifted her head up from his chest and planted her lips on his cheek next to his smiling lips. "Really." Her lips had barely moved from his skin. Sasuke-kun's normally even breath hitched as she whispered, "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

His head finally turned toward her, and their lips met in the middle. "Sasuke-kun-"

"Sakura." His lips crushed against hers and the arm that was holding him up snaked around to her back. "Stop talking."

They continued even as a cloud slipped over the moon and the couple was bathed in a comforting darkness. For the rest of the night, they stayed under the careful watch of the tree.

**There was a special bond**

A cool wind was blowing steadily today. Many of the loose leaves had already fallen. Only a few strong leaves were left clinging to their lifeline. The tree itself was clinging to stay awake. It wanted to see more of Sakura-chan and Sasuke-kun before it slept for the winter months.

Half of its wish was granted. Despite the wish, the tree was surprised to see not Sakura-chan, but Sasuke-kun. He appeared in his usual fashion: quick, calm, and smooth. He slowly walked over to the tree and waited. Waiting for what, the tree did not know, but he had stopped walking and he was staring at the sky.

It wasn't until a light mist began to fall from the grey sky that Sasuke-kun spoke, "I'm sure Sakura will be by soon. She just came back from a mission. She's fine though." A scowl appeared on his face. "She's fine."

The tree was confused. Was fine a bad thing?

"Annoying girl took longer on her mission than necessary. I almost…" He stopped and grit his teeth. A hiss escaped. "What's wrong with me? Why should I care if she took longer than planned?" He was looking at the tree, his gaze hard, but easily broken. The tree really thought he was waiting for an answer. With a shake of the branches, the tree tried to tell him that he already knew the answer.

"I don't want to care, dammit! I don't want to hurt her and I don't want to be hurt if something happens! Dammit!" Sasuke-kun fell to his knees. His fist hit the ground, once, twice, three times.

"But…" He stopped and took a shuddering breath. "But I realized…" He looked up at the tree and it noticed the bags under his shaking eyes. He looked broken.

"I realized it hurt more to not be with her." He sat up straight, but his shoulders sagged in defeat. "When did this happen? I was so careful…" He was imploring the tree, almost begging it to answer, but the tree could not. It could only offer a comforting breeze.

Sasuke-kun took what he could and let the breeze calm him. His tired eyes closed. "I guess it's no use." He murmured.

The next time his eyes opened, his confident smirk had returned to his face, "I'll just have to make sure she doesn't leave me."

The tree watched Sasuke-kun leave the area, its awareness slowly leaving as the heavy sleep tugged away. It was odd, the tree thought. He was confident again, but something was different. He was broken, but it seemed to do him good. As the tree's awareness began to seep into oblivion, it was reminded of how Sakura-chan once had to break before she could grown again…

**Something always dies in Winter, but dying leaves room for things to grow in the Spring**

It was good to be alive again; the tree was especially sure of these thoughts as it listened to Sakura chat about her day. As soon as the blossoms began budding and the tree had begun to awaken to warmer temperatures, Sakura-chan visited nearly every afternoon to eat and chat.

Though the tree had yet to see Sasuke-kun since his last visit before the big sleep, the tree felt as though he was there with Sakura-chan. She spoke of him often enough and with such fondness, the tree thought that Sasuke-kun came with her everyday. Though, to be sure, Sasuke-kun wasn't her only topic of choice. Sometimes she would talk about Ino-chan and Naruto. Sai was learning human emotions (and from Sakura-chan's occasional rants, the tree was learning a bit more about what one should not do). Tsunade-sama was thinking of retiring a position – whether it be Hokage or head of the hospital she didn't know. Kakashi-sensei was often out on business, but liked to visit her when he could. Sakura-chan also talked about her many patients – the nice ones, the perverts, the jerks, the funny old ladies. Sakura-chan often reminded the tree, "All of my interactions and information with the patients are completely confidential! So if you tell anyone, I'll have to kill you." The tree did not know what this meant, but Sakura-chan always said it with a smirk and a twinkle in her eye, so the tree took it as a good thing.

It was on one of these lunch days that Sasuke-kun appeared just as Sakura was finishing a story about a patient who had gotten a light bulb stuck somewhere it didn't belong.

Sakura-chan heard him coming before the tree knew. "Sasuke-kun!" She called. He appeared, hands in his pockets, eyes half lidded and lips set in a line. He watched as Sakura-chan waved at him from her spot on the ground. She patted an area next to her and Sasuke-kun moved to his appointed seat. "If I had known you'd be joining me today, I would have packed more." She pulled out an apple from her bag. "It's not a tomato, but…"

Sasuke-kun looked at it, then shook his head. Sakura-chan shrugged and placed the apple back in her bag. She offered part of the sandwich she was nibbling on, but he declined that as well. They sat in silence for a while, each enjoying the others company.

It was peaceful. There was a light breeze that caused a few loose pink petals to fall around the couple. Sakura-chan looked content, still munching on her sandwich. She would occasionally steal a glance at Sasuke-kun, but otherwise the springtime action and signs around her held her attention.

Sasuke-kun seemed relaxed at first, but – there it was. A slight twitch in the eyebrows. His lips moved occasionally, as though words were bursting to come out of his sewn tight lips. His eyes had yet to meet Sakura-chan's since he sat down. They narrowed slightly. A tinge of pink dotted his normally pale face. The tree sent a stronger breeze to encourage relaxation. The lips that were sewn tight burst open.

"Marry me."

As though in a trance, Sakura-chan's head slowly turned to face Sasuke-kun. Her wide green eyes met with unusually wide coal eyes. They stared at each other for a moment while the pink blossoms circled around them.

Finally, after the tree could see water forming on Sasuke-kun's body, Sakura-chan seemed to be the first to make a move. Her stiff form relaxed and a gentle smile formed. "Sasuke-kun," Her green eyes sparkled, "You can't just demand I marry you. Now, ask me properly, and I may think about it."

"Sakura…" Sasuke-kun growled like the dogs that sometimes visited the tree.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun!" Her gentle smile turned into something more sinister, almost sultry as she leaned in and whispered against his lips. "Ask me." She remained there, eyes half lidded, one side of her lips curled upwards. She was almost touching Sasuke-kun.

The nervous twitching stopped and the usual smirk that adorned his face came back with a vengeance as he turned his head and stood up, leaving Sakura-chan on her knees and looking slightly put-out. "I don't need to ask anything."

A light red lip stuck out as Sakura-chan gazed up, "Sasuke-kuuuun,"

The tree shook with delight, watching the two together. It was almost as though they were children again.

Sasuke-kun made a noise that the tree had only heard from Sakura-chan. It wasn't a bad sound. In fact, it was quite delightful. It did not last long, and the sound was much lower, but it was just as amazing. Sasuke-kun had laughed. Sakura-chan also seemed to be just as surprised, but delighted. She watched with wide-green eyes as he bent down to rest on his haunches in front of her. There was a rare smile (though arguably still a smirk) on his face while he said, "Baka-Sakura, will you marry me?"

**She said yes.**

_THUNK_

_PLOP_

"HEY!"

The tree found that its memories had been interrupted by a child. From the red spot on the child's forehead and the slight stinging sensation in its bark, the tree figured that the boy had run head first into it.

"You stupid tree!" The child yelled. The tree thought it was quite rude as the child was the one who ran into the tree, not the other way around. To show its frustration, the tree shook its branches. It was springtime again, and many of the pink blossoms the tree was so proud of fell down around the child.

"Ew." He kicked a petal. "It's pink. I don't like pink. It's such a girly color, and I'm a boy!" The boy stopped suddenly, his green eyes moving side to side as though searching for something. He found nothing and relaxed a little, the anger flowing out of him as quickly as it came. "Don't tell my mom I said that." His stared at the tree for a few minutes, and the tree felt something familiar in those intense green eyes.

"_Tomomi-san!"_

_"I figured since this stupid place usually makes her feel better, and it's supposed to be 'our' place, maybe…" __His eyes narrow in concentration._

"You sure hit hard." The tree was brought back. The boy was rubbing his red forehead. "Not as hard as my dad though." A prideful grin lit up the boy's face. "He's awesome!" A wince, "And he hits really hard if I've been bad." He stopped to watch the tree again, his gaze less piercing and more curious. A breeze rustled his black hair and a small smile began to form. "I guess pink isn't so bad." His little nose scrunched up. "Don't tell anyone I said that though. Hey, I have to go now." He turned to go, but stopped to swivel around. "Remember, if you tell anyone what I said, I'll never forgive you!" And he was gone.

**The tree knew it would see him again**

_"It's my tree. I found it. And…" She blushed as her hands folded behind her back. "I want to share it with you." Sasuke-kun still looked hesitant, so she continued, pleading. "Our secret!"_

_The tree, though it wasn't sure what to think of the skeptical boy, could not help but try to support what this young girl wanted. With all of its power, the tree's branches shook from an unfelt breeze causing the two children to be surrounded by a whirlwind of sakura blossoms._

_A sigh escaped the boy's lips before they curled up into a smile. "Okay, Sakura-chan. Our secret."_

The End!

...Or is it? I was thinking of putting in a special "Alternative views" and/or extra scenes – more on my own time when I get the muse than as part of the actual plot, you know? So, **if there is anything you want to see, or think I missed out on,** let me know, and I'll add it in a bonus chapter!

Again, thank you **Len83** for being so awesome and taking time out of your busy schedule to help me.

Send me your thoughts and help make me happy and inspired!

**Reviews = Happy and inspitred Author = Faster/more updates = Happy readers**  
Therefore, review!


	4. Side Stories

Hoookays. So, remember this story? And remember how I promised a long-ass time ago that I would do a short add on of side stories? Well, I've had a form of writers block recently, and I've wanted to want to write – but nothing was really poking the word muse. I have many ideas and plans for stories, but I just haven't been able to get a decent combination of words in a row on 'paper.' So, I thought I would pick up an older idea and work on that. This was simple and easy because 1) Some of the stories were already written 2) They were short and 3) They were more light hearted.

So, for anyone who is interested and still following along: Here are some side stories to "Somewhere Only We Know"

(**Note**: Unlike the main story, the tree's perspective isn't continuous in this series. There are two at the end that _are_ centered around the tree as an idea, but _not_ from its perspective.)

**Somewhere Only We Know  
.:Side Stories:.**

He was coming. The presence was heavy, heavier than the tree had ever felt. His footsteps were slow, but not calculated. A rough stumble could be heard on occasion, and the tree worried. When he was finally visible, the moon lit up the paleness of his skin. The wide blank stare looked even more lonely. The tree felt a longing to comfort Sakura-chan's precious friend. Its branches reached out, but it could not touch him. It was close, so close, but not close enough.

As though he felt the longing, the boy's blank eyes moved up, staring through the tree. A dry streak shone on his cheeks as the moon hit his face just right. He said not a word, but a word was not needed. The boy was hurting, that much was clear. Bare branches desperately wished it could wrap around the boy, comforting him in its embrace.

But the boy could not be touched. He was alone.

Pale arms raised, slowly – like he was not in control – to stop before his face. The blank orbs moved from through the tree to stare at the hands. Eyes widened before narrowing. The palms became hidden when hands became fists. Defeated drooping shoulders tensed. He looked back up at the tree.

He could see again, but he was not seeing the tree in front of him. His lips moved, whispering a title – a path and a promise.

_***Avenger***_

It was a brief meeting – and it had only ever happened once.

He had stumbled through the brush, his head whipping from side to side, stance ready to pounce on anything. His energy was catching. The tree watched him with both excitement and worry; its branches stilled with anticipation.

Either not finding what he had planned or giving up entirely, the boy's shoulders drooped while his stance relaxed. Electric blue met with bright pink petals. They stared for a moment (though, the tree seriously doubted whether the boy was aware he was being observed by the tree).

"Sakura-chan would like this place." Came tumbling from his lips. And then, as though ashamed or nervous, he scratched the lined cheeks with one finger.

Suddenly, he froze mid scratch. His nose flared slightly before he jumped, startling the poor tree. "AH!" He shouted. He whipped around to the side and pointed. "I can smell it, fuzzy-brows!" His finger began to shake as his face turned an unhealthy shade of red. "Give me back my ramen!"

Quicker than the tree had ever seen birds fly to catch their meal, the boy was gone.

_***Perhaps it was for the best.***_

She was laughing while he scowled beside her as they stepped into view through the brush, Sakura-chan tugging at Sasuke-kun's arm. Sasuke-kun stumbled once when she must have pulled too tightly.

"That was stupid." He ground out. His voice was angry and rough, but it didn't quite match his eyes.

"That doesn't sound like a thank you to me." Sakura-chan had stopped laughing, but there was a massive grin present on her bright face. They were finally under the tree's stretched out branches. They waved in the breeze as a welcome.

"They could have followed us."

Sakura-chan dropped his arm. He stopped while she kept going, only pausing when she reached the base of the tree. She spun around, her hands innocently clasped behind her back. "Aren't you supposed to be an amazing masterful ninja?"

"You don't know these fan girls."

There was a pause. Something in the air changed. The tree did not like it. "I do." Sakura-chan's grin faded slightly. Her eyes dimmed and the happy shine was replaced with something else. The tree immediately missed her usual glow. "I used to be one of them, remember?"

The silence was thick. Sasuke-kun's mouth set in a straight line. The tree willed him to say something – do something to bring back the Sakura-chan of just a few seconds ago. It was his duty, wasn't it?

Instead, Sasuke-kun said nothing. They watched each other, staring until the girl could no longer match his gaze and turned off to the side.

Finally, he broke the silence, "You are not a fan girl anymore." He stated.

"No." Sakura-chan bit her lip, still not meeting his watchful gaze. Her fingers began to play with each other behind her back.

"Why."

"I was annoying, wasn't I?" Her eyes briefly met his before casting off again to the side.

"You were." He said slowly. "But it was different." Fisted hands stuffed themselves into pockets.

The tree watched as many different thoughts and expressions flew across Sakura-chan's face. Her mouth dropped once, then immediately closed again. When she repeated the action, the tree seriously began to worry for the girl. After the third time, Sakura-chan's shoulders dropped and a slightly defeated looking smile graced her lips. "I don't know if I should take that as a good thing or a bad thing."

"Take it however you want."

Sakura-chan's smile fell. With hands still behind her back, she turned to stare up the base of the tree, her eyes thoughtful – almost like she was searching for answers within the high branches. The tree wished it could give her what she was looking for. It shook. A few leaves fluttered down around her, one finding rest on her shoulder. "Am I annoying now?" Her words were quiet, hesitant, but the slight breeze from the tree still carried it over to Sasuke-kun.

He was watching her back. She could not face him, could not see the arms that were crossed and the contemplative stare in his eyes. "Yes."

If the tree had not been observant, it would not have noticed the slight tensing of her muscles, the vague shine to her eyes, and the quick grimace on her face. The tree was confused by the words. Annoying. What was annoying? Sasuke-kun had confirmed the word, but the tree wondered if they both knew what the word meant.

Sakura-chan let out a shaky breath. Keeping her back to the boy, she spoke. The tree could sense that she struggled to keep her words steady. "Is that so? I guess things haven't changed too much then. I…" Her voice broke off for a moment. She blinked quickly, while her brow furrowed. Her lips formed a soundless word just before her hands fisted at her sides and she spun around to face Sasuke-kun. "No!" She repeated the word. "I won't stop being annoying." She stalked towards him, her finger jutting out, leading her. Sasuke watched the finger with a wary eye. "You're doing better, and I feel like we're a lot closer. So, if I need to continue being annoying," She poked his chest then. Sasuke-kun's lips twitched slightly, "Then so be it!"

"Good."

"I don't – what?" Sakura-chan's finger faltered on its way to jab at his chest again.

"I'm not repeating myself." Sasuke-kun's arms unfolded themselves. His hands found refuge his pockets.

"I don't get it." Sakura-chan also stepped back. Her head tilted to the side. The tree could not see her expression, but it imagined that she was biting her lip like she so often did when she was confused.

"Sakura…" Sasuke-kun looked away. He looked tired.

"Sorry," Sakura-chan mimicked his previous stance by crossing her arms and leaning on one foot. "I must not be using the same dictionary you've been using."

"You're annoying."

"Yeah, I got that much."

Neither responded and the tree briefly wondered if it had perhaps missed something. Sasuke-kun continued to stare off at anything other than Sakura-chan while she kept her arms crossed.

Finally, it was Sakura-chan who broke the silence as she shifted to the side, arms still crossed. The tree could see the hesitance in her expression. "So… how am I annoying?" Yes, the tree also wondered this question. It had only heard the word from Sasuke-kun, and when he used it, it did not seem to be that bad. However, Sakura-chan did not seem to enjoy the title.

"I don't get you." A pink eyebrow raised slightly, waiting for him to continue, "You're different."

"Is that bad?" Sakura-chan's brow raised even further.

"I don't know." Sasuke-kun's words were quick and rough. "You used to like me." A rarely seen color colored the tips of his ears.

"Do you want me to still like you?"

Still, Sasuke-kun refused to look at Sakura-chan. She waited for him to answer. The tree was anxious as well. It thought Sakura-chan always liked Sasuke-kun anyway. After a time, Sakura-chan's gaze moved from Sasuke-kun and turned to the tree. A slight red tint colored her cheeks.

"I didn't stop."

Another silence fell on the area. The tree watched Sakura-chan's face become a few shades darker as the seconds passed. Her pink eyebrows began to slant downwards while her lips chanted soundless words.

The tree was so focused on its worry for Sakura-chan, that it hadn't notice Sasuke-kun move until it heard him release such a deep breath that a few of the fallen leaves jumped at the breeze.

"I'll make dinner." He said. Sakura-chan's angry expression immediately evaporated with her widened eyes, "To thank you" Sasuke-kun continued, "for saving me from the fangirls."

Sakura-chan spun around. "Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke-kun immediately spun away, already marching towards the brush where they had entered. "Just shut up and be there."

_***Dinner sounded lovely**__*****_

"Hey, jackass! You free tonight?"

"No."

"What?!" The chopsticks in Naruto's hand dropped into his ramen, splashing the precious broth onto the counter. He slammed his hands onto the wood while pushing himself off the stool so quickly that the chair fell backwards. "You're Sasuke-Uchiha – ice cube man!" He ignored the angry scolding of the pink haired girl on the other side of him. A finger waved in the Uchiha's face. "What could you possibly have planned?" And without his best friend!

Sasuke's nose scrunched up. He slipped his hand over Naruto's and pushed it so it was out of his face. "I have to do mission reports." He stated before returning to the ramen before him.

"Aw, you're no fun." Naruto pouted. He bent down to pick up the stool and carefully place it back to the standing position before plopping back down. He slouched only for a moment before he was reinvigorated by a mouthful of noodles. "What about you, Sakura-chan?"

He nearly choked when his head snapped forward from the force of Sakura's hand meeting the back of his head. "Don't talk with food in your mouth!" When he was able to swallow properly, he heard her continue, "Sorry, Naruto. I'm going to be busy too. I have to do paperwork."

"What? Both of you?" Naruto's head swiveled back and forth, eyeing both of them with what he hoped was shining guilt-inducing blue eyes. When he received no reactions, his back hunched as he pouted. It seemed like they were always busy. Either training or…

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura looking over his head and giving a short, brief nodding before the sneaky ninja went back to her ramen.

"Yeah, sorry Naruto."

Naruto sat up straight and took turns looking at the two on either side of him; blue eyes big and round. Gears began moving and clicking inside his head. Paperwork, is that what they're calling it these days? A sly grin spread across his face and he slunk down to slurp up his noodles, chuckling between sips.

"Naruto?" He heard Sakura's concerned voice, "Are you okay?

"I'm okay." He answered. He was going to be even better when he caught them together. He wasn't as slow as they thought he was.

They separated not long after. Sakura offering a few follow up 'Are you sure you're okay?' questions. Sure, Naruto knew he probably should be doing more to hide his grin and possibly hold back the occasional chuckle. He would also play on his poor left out soul and get some free lunches with Sakura-chan – but that would have to happen after he caught them and after he was over the initial excitement for them.

He was going to have to put his ninja skills to real use now. He sent them away with a, "Have fun with your _paperwork_!" and headed off in the direction of his apartment. And he wasn't totally lying – a clone really did go to his apartment. The original turned a corner and followed a good distance behind Sakura with masked chakra.

She stopped a few times, her hand twitching near the kunai pouch on her thigh. She threw them once. If Naruto hadn't jumped, Sai's nickname wouldn't have been so off anymore. Sakura entered her apartment and Naruto made himself comfortable in the tree next to her balcony.

He tracked her through her apartment, turning on and off lights as she entered and exited rooms. She stopped in her hallway once to talk on the phone. If he were less intelligent, he would have gotten closer to try and eavesdrop, but he didn't dare get any closer. When she finished the conversation, she entered what he knew from being in her apartment as her bedroom.

She exited the room five minutes later with a fancy, low-cut summer dress rather than the work clothes she had on when she entered the apartment fifteen minutes ago.

The beating he was going to get would be so worth it when he catches them.

With the ease of a great ninja like himself, Naruto carefully shadowed Sakura when she exited the building. She was less wary now and more in her head, daydreaming about her glorious date – unsuspecting of the surprise the great ninja Naruto was about to pull!

Sakura took the back way – which made it easier for Naruto to hide in the shadows undetected. He made sure to keep his distance. He was great, but Sakura certainly wasn't bad either. The road was beginning to look familiar. Trees were coming closer and bigger. The path was familiar. He found himself navigating easily.

He let Sakura turn a corner before following ten seconds later.

She was gone, but the Konoha gate was open before him. He carefully tiptoed to press himself against the wall next to the entrance. Arms spread wide as he gingerly took another step closer. His neck strained to get his head close, but not too close. He heard muffled voices. When he heard an excited giggle, he knew it was his time to shine.

With a bound, Naruto was on the other side of the gate – legs spread wide and an accusing finger held out. "HA! I caught you!" He shouted.

Two pairs of very round eyes blinked back at him as they paused in their actions.

Naruto also stared back, frozen in his position.

It was the pair that moved first. "Why yes! Naruto-san! You have caught us!" The younger green beast of Konoha straightened up from his stretches and leaped over to grab Naruto's outstretched hand. "We were going to do all night run around the border of Konoha to ignite the flames of youth for all inside!"

The elder man, clad in green, appeared next to the frozen blonde and draped an arm over his shoulders, "You must be here to join us!" Gai flashed his sparkling smile and offered a thumbs up to encourage the youth.

"Of course!" Lee cried, shaking Naruto's hand, "Sakura must have told you right after she got off the phone with me and you just had to participate in our endeavor!"

"Well then, we must not make this burning youth wait any longer!" Lee let go of Naruto's hand and Gai straightened out the blonde, arranging his stiff limbs so that his arms were straight up in the air.

"Yosh!" The two green beasts mimicked Naruto's position.

"Let's go!" Gai took off running. Lee turned to Naruto, whose arms had finally dropped to his side. He opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn't quite get passed the level of betrayal that he had been dealt.

Lee took in his defeated face and grabbed his friend's hand. "I know it will be tough Naruto, but we can get through it together with the power of youth!"

Sometime during the haze of their first few laps on the walls of Konoha (just as a 'change of pace'), Naruto could have sworn he saw a flash of pink and black through branches in a small wooded area – but the moment was gone in an instant. It was probably his exhausted mind playing tricks on him.

* * *

"_I'll just have to make sure she doesn't leave me."_

He had said those words – and meant them – but the weight of what he had suggested was really bearing down on him as he stared at the hospital doors.

As people passed him by, he felt the different looks they gave him. Some were filled with disgust, others confusion, and some filled with lust. He ignored them all, his main focus on the sliding doors in front of him. It was just one step ahead – one forward movement to make the glass doors slide open.

Just as he was about to finally take that step foreword, a familiar blonde came out. He was spotted immediately – too late to hide, so now he could only hope the nuisance would disappear soon.

"You know," Hands folded over a purple shirt as she stopped in front of him. "When I heard people coming in and complaining about some weirdo hot man standing in front of the hospital just staring and not moving, I should have known it was you." Her weight shifted to one foot as her head cocked to the side. "Are you here for Sakura?"

Sasuke did not say anything. Stupid questions don't need answering.

Ino rolled her eyes when she finally got the hint, "She's not here."

The previously shifty eyes immediately snapped to Ino's, demanding an explanation.

"She's on her lunch break. She usually steps out to eat – not sure where, though. I asked her once – hey!"

Sasuke had turned and was walking away from the blonde. He had all the information he needed.

She was there; he could sense her. Really, he should have tried here first. His hands shoved themselves into his pocket as he stood behind a tree, concealing himself from view. One hand fiddled with the precious object buried deep in the compartment of his pants. Lips pressed together while his eyebrows furrowed. He could hear her speaking – probably to the tree, but he wasn't listening to the words. Her voice, while it normally soothed him, made him anxious today.

At last, taking a deep breath, Sasuke closed his eyes and took the first step through the brush. He watched as Sakura stopped her chattering and turned to face him with questioning green eyes. She blinked at him a few times, his own eyes staring straight back at her, before she shrugged off the confusion and raised an arm in the air, her hand making the motions for him to come closer.

His movement to the spot that she was now patting was automatic.

"If I had known you'd be joining me today, I would have packed more." When Sasuke had settled himself down beside her, Sakura carefully reached into her brown paper bag and rustled around in it before pulling out a red apple. "It's not a tomato, but…" she stretched out her arm and offered the fruit to him.

Sasuke eyed the red food for a moment. No, he was unable to eat, let alone eat something red that wasn't his beloved tomato. Black hair shook with his head. He watched as Sakura shrugged and placed the apple back into her pack. She then offered part of the sandwich she had been nibbling on, but he again shook his head, declining the offer. Sakura resumed nibbling on her sandwich in silence, but Sasuke could see her eyes occasionally flicker towards his stuff form.

She probably knew. Aside from the glances, her eyebrows slightly furrowed and her lips were set in a straight line in between her tiny bites. She knew something was different and it was worrying her. She knew him too well. It loved and hated it. Sasuke took in a deep breath before letting it out, willing himself to relax. He closed his eyes, focusing on the calming presence of the tree they had claimed as their own.

It was peaceful. The breeze was soft, but refreshing. Sakura's soft nibbling was comforting. Something silky brushed up against his nose. He heard Sakura chuckle beside him before he felt her fingers remove the foreign object.

The words – they were on the tip of his tongue, waiting to burst out. He was Sasuke Uchiha, dammit! Where was his confidence? He felt his lips involuntarily tighten as his eyes slowly opened to look around. His dark gaze fell on the tree – the damned tree that on more than one occasion had brought Sakura and himself together. There was something about the tree – he would give Sakura that. Even then, he felt that the soft breeze was encouraging him, giving him the courage.

"Marry me."

The words were out there even before he realized her had said them. Well, it was out there now, nothing he could do about it. His gaze – oh so cautious and guarded – slowly turned to meet her wide-eyed stare. No one said a word as the pink petals danced around the couple.

Involuntary beads of nervous sweat began to form on his forehead. His ears began to burn. Sasuke did not acknowledge their existence, keeping his attention focused onto the girl beside him. Why wasn't she answering? Any other time, the girl was a chatterbox, but now that he actually _wanted_ her to say something…

Finally, Sakura let out a sigh. Her body dropped a bit, but her lips held a gentle smile. "Sasuke-kun, you can't just demand I marry you. Now, ask me properly, and I may think about it."

Damn her. "Sakura…" Sasuke felt himself growl. What did she want? Roses? A grand scene? Didn't she know by now who he was?

"Come on, Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke watched as the gentle smile turned into a familiar smirk. She leaned foreword, lips tantalizingly close to his own. "Ask me." She whispered, her voice husky. He could feel her breath against is face. It was hot and smelled slightly of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich she had been eating.

And then the nervous anxiousness was gone. He was confident again. The smirk that had been absent earlier formed on his lips. She was his; and she was playing with him – but not in a negative way. He could play back.

Turning his head, he watched from the corner of his eye as Sakura leaned foreword on her hands and knees, a cute pout present on her face. "I don't need to ask you anything." Sasuke crossed his arms, staring down at the pink haired girl, as though he hadn't just proposed to her.

"Sasuke-kuuuuuun." Sakura whined. She leaned back so that she was sitting on her ankles, hands at her side. Her lips pouted even further and her doe eyes glimmered with playful sadness.

Before he could stop it (though he wondered if he really did want to stop it), Sasuke felt the rumble before he heard it. A short chuckle escaped his lips. _Yes,_ he thought as he began to squat down in front of the happily surprised Sakura. _Yes, this is who I want to keep with me. No need for hesitation or anxiety. I am sure_. He allowed his lips to curl up into a very slight, but very there smile. "_Sakura no baka_, will you marry me?"

_(.Owari.)_

Yeah, so, there it is. Some of it was written a while ago, some of it I wrote just recently. I think I need to write more regularly because my writing seems to have gone a bit downhill…

Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed! Thanks so much for reading!

Please do **_review/like/reblog_** and all that jazz.

Note: I gots myself a **tumblr!** Follow me at **Joy-girl-sama** and chat!


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